This recipe for Simple Two Ingredient Instant Pot BBQ Chicken is so easy, and the results are delicious! With just a few minutes of prep time, you can have a tasty and satisfying meal ready to go. Just dump the ingredients in the pot and let it cook. Dinner will be ready in no time! Plus, this dish is packed with flavor. You'll love how tender and juicy the chicken turns out. Serve the BBQ chicken on a bed of rice, in a sandwich, or on its own with a side of vegetables. No matter how you serve it, your family will love it!
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BBQ chicken is one of my all-time favorite comfort foods. And the Instant Pot makes it so easy to cook, with very little prep time and almost no cleanup.
I usually like to make BBQ chicken on the grill, but when I have a busy day and need supper on the table in a hurry, I use the Instant Pot. Pressure-cooking helps me make this dish a lot faster and easier.
This is an easy recipe, and all you need are some chicken breasts and a bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce. The best part is that this recipe is so simple that anyone can make it!
For more chicken recipes, be sure to try BBQ chicken legs made in the pressure cooker, and chicken thighs and bacon-wrapped chicken breasts made in the air fryer.
👩🏻🍳 Favorite Instant Pot recipes
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❤️ Why this recipe works
- Super easy and fast to make with very little prep time - just dump the ingredients in the pot and let it cook.
- Deliciously tender and juicy chicken that tastes amazing.
- This pressure cooker chicken has the perfect balance of sweet and smoky barbecue flavor.
- Perfect for busy families who need a quick and easy meal.
- You can use any type of chicken, either boneless chicken breasts or boneless chicken thighs.
- It is versatile. Use this delicious chicken to make pulled chicken sandwiches, tacos, and salads. Serve it on a bed of rice, in a sandwich, or on its own.
- Your whole family will love this easy recipe.
- Great for feeding a crowd; perfect for quick summer meals.
- No more complicated recipes or long wait times - this is the easiest way to make BBQ chicken.
- I know I'm repeating myself, but this is an unbelievably simple recipe.
- This might be your new go-to chicken dish.
- Great for meal prep and lunches.
🐓 Ingredients
This easy dinner recipe is perfect for busy weeknights. You can easily find the ingredients at any grocery store!
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I used four boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe.
- Your favorite barbeque sauce. I like to use a sweet and smoky BBQ sauce, but you can use whatever flavor you want. I like to use Sweet Baby Ray's Original Barbecue Sauce.
See the recipe card for quantities.
🍗 Instructions
This is one of the easiest recipes, and it only requires two ingredients! This pulled chicken is great for busy weeknights because it only takes a few minutes to prepare, and then the Instant Pot does all the work!
Place a trivet in the instant pot. Add 1 cup of water. Place boneless chicken breasts in a single layer on the trivet.
Place about ⅓ cup of barbecue sauce on top of the chicken breasts. Secure the lid. Set to high pressure for 15 minutes of cooking time.
After the 15-minute cook time is up, let the pressure naturally release for 5 minutes. Then, quick release any remaining pressure and open the lid.
Lift out the chicken carefully and drain the water out of the pot. Place chicken back in the pot. Using two forks, shred the chicken, one breast at a time. Repeat until all of the chicken is shredded. Use an electric hand mixer to quickly shred the chicken to make this step faster.
Add the rest of the barbecue sauce and stir well to mix it all in. If desired, add extra barbecue sauce until you get the consistency you like. Serve extra sauce alongside the chicken so everyone can add how much they like.
Serve the shredded meat on air buns, brioche buns, rice, pasta, or quinoa. Top with additional barbecue sauce if desired. Enjoy!
Hint: If using frozen chicken breasts, prepare the recipe the same way, except extend the natural release time to 10 minutes.
📋 Substitutions
You can make this barbecue chicken dish with boneless skinless chicken thighs if you don't have chicken breasts.
You can also make your own homemade barbecue sauce instead of store-bought.
Feel free to use chicken broth instead of water for added flavor.
⏲️ Slow Cooker Instructions
If you don't have an Instant Pot, no worries! You can easily make this instant pot bbq chicken recipe in a slow cooker.
Place the chicken and all of the BBQ sauce in the slow cooker, set it on low, and let it cook for 6-8 hours. You can use boneless chicken breasts or boneless thighs.
Once the chicken is cooked through, shred the chicken with a fork or chop it into bite-sized pieces. Then, add your favorite toppings and enjoy!
📖 Variations
This 2-ingredient bbq chicken instant pot recipe can be easily customized to suit your tastes. Some fun variations to try are:
- Spicy: For a spicy twist, try adding some hot sauce to the BBQ sauce before cooking. You can also add some diced jalapeno peppers or cayenne pepper.
- More flavor: Add seasoning or spices to the chicken for added flavor. Try onion powder or garlic powder.
- Sweet: If you're a fan of sweet and mild BBQ flavors, add some brown sugar or honey to make a sweeter sauce.
- Smoky: For a smoky bbq flavor, try adding a teaspoon of liquid smoke to the BBQ sauce.
- BBQ sauce: You can also experiment with different types of BBQ sauce, from sweet and sticky to tangy and vinegar-based. Use your favorite homemade BBQ sauce recipe if you have one.
So whether you're in the mood for pulled chicken sandwiches, BBQ chicken salad, or BBQ chicken pizza, you will love this tender instant pot bbq chicken.
🥙 How to serve
- BBQ chicken pizza
- BBQ chicken salad
- Burrito bowls
- With rice
- With pasta
- On dinner buns
- Filling for tacos or enchiladas
🍽 Equipment
To make this recipe, you will need an Instant Pot. I used an 8-quart stainless steel model.
You can also use a slow cooker to make this chicken recipe.
🌡️ Storage
If you find yourself with leftover chicken, don't worry! You can easily store this delicious dish in the fridge or freezer for later.
To refrigerate, simply place the chicken in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to four days. When you're ready to eat, simply reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
If you want to freeze your leftovers, simply place the chicken in a freezer-safe bag or container and store it in the freezer for up to two months. When you're ready to eat, thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat. Enjoy!
💭 Top tips
- Use high-quality chicken breasts. I prefer organic, hormone-free chicken breasts for the best flavor and texture.
- You can season your chicken breasts generously with salt and pepper or your favorite BBQ rub. Be sure to massage the seasoning into the meat for full flavor coverage.
- Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken. It should be 165 degrees F.
- Drain the water when the chicken has completed cooking before adding the sauce.
- Add a little extra BBQ sauce if you like your chicken saucy.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
No, the BBQ sauce has a high sugar content, so it will stick to the bottom of the pot and give you the burn notice. For this recipe, you need to use water or chicken broth as the liquid.
This easy BBQ chicken only requires two ingredients, chicken breasts and barbecue sauce.
It takes the chicken 15 minutes to cook at high pressure and 5 minutes of natural release. If using frozen chicken breasts, cook for 15 minutes at high pressure and 10 minutes of natural release.
The best way to make BBQ chicken in an instant pot is to place the chicken breasts on a trivet at the bottom of the pot. Add one cup of water. Top your chicken with your favorite BBQ sauce. Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes, then natural release for 5 minutes. Then, use the quick-release method to allow additional steam to escape.
🥗 Side dishes
- Rice
- Beans
- Roasted vegetables
- Bacon-wrapped asparagus
- Crispy coleslaw
- Smoked baked potatoes
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
- Oven-Roasted Potatoes
- Frozen Waffle Fries In Air Fryer
If you've tried this easy instant pot bbq chicken recipe, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. I love hearing from you!
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📋 Recipe
Simple Two Ingredient Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
Equipment
- Pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- 1 cup barbeque sauce
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Place trivet in the instant pot and add 1 cup of water. Place chicken breasts in a single layer on the trivet.
- Place about ⅓ cup of barbecue sauce on top of the chicken breasts. Secure the lid. Set to high pressure for 15 minutes.
- After the 15 minutes, natural pressure release for 5 minutes. Then, quick release the remaining pressure and open the lid.
- Lift out the chicken carefully and drain the water out of the pot. Return the chicken to the pot. Using two forks, shred the chicken or cut it into small pieces.
- Add the remaining barbecue sauce to the chicken. Stir well to combine. If desired, add extra sauce until you get the consistency you like.
- Serve the chicken with extra sauce and your favorite sides.
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Use high-quality chicken breasts. I prefer organic, hormone-free chicken breasts for the best flavor and texture.
- You can season your chicken breasts generously with salt and pepper, or your favorite BBQ rub. Be sure to massage the seasoning into the meat for full flavor coverage.
- Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken. It should be 165 degrees F.
- Drain the water when the chicken has completed cooking and remove the lid.
- Add a little extra BBQ sauce if you like your chicken saucy.
Nutrition
📑 Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
Marcellina
Turned out succulent and tasty! Thanks!